María G. Valdez PART II
María G. Valdez had her first solo singing concert “Como en Casa: Canciones para Mamá” in May in the Dominican Republic.
PART II: María G. Valdez’s Lively and Human Musical Hobby
In PART I, we explored María G. Valdez’s musical communication. Now, we’ll go on a new adventure learning about her lively and human musical hobby. But first, we need to understand better Valdez’s perception of music and art. She believes art is supposed to make you feel something. It does not have to be a knee-jerk reaction, but it is supposed to make you feel happiness, sadness, disdain, outrageousness, or whatever.
And she also believes art is a form of protest, which is where music comes through. Music is that channel or medium that makes us scream in joy or scream in frustration.
“Music is the vehicle that allows us to really feel and that bridges our feelings with our humanity. I feel like music kind of allows us to actually be more human,” Valdez said. “I feel like through music, we can access parts of ourselves that we don’t normally access on a day-to-day level.”
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That access to deeper parts of ourselves also comes from Valdez’s perspective that people are like onions. Everyone is multi-layered and most of the time, a person only shows one of their layers, whether that’s their work, spiritual, or personal part. She believes it’s very rare for someone to completely bloom in front of everyone.
But that’s where music comes through. It’s this artistic discipline that connects all of the existing layers of a person.
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“It allows us to be more human, feel more human, and emote like humans,” Valdez said.
Valdez recalled of the time when her grandmother fell sick. She realized that it was most likely that her grandmother would not wake up from a comma. Then, she went driving and blasted songs from My Chemical Romance, The Used, Something Corporate, and Taking Back Sunday. She chose these bands specifically because of the nostalgia and the remembrance of her emo years. She needed her “emoness” to come out in that moment.
Simply listening to that music made her feel good and it helped her process her feelings better. It simply allowed her to connect with the deeper parts of herself and that’s why she holds a simple, yet spot-on definition for music.
María G. Valdez on her audition for Latin American Idol (left) and a photo of her singing (right). | Photos courtesy of María G. Valdez. | Impulsiva Stories
“I guess, in a way, you can say that music is the art of communicating your feelings,” Valdez said.
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Music is about communicating your feelings through sounds, rhythms, instruments, and lyrics. It’s about letting yourself go and enjoying the moment because nothing else matters more than what you’re listening to. It’s about really connecting with the emotions that a song might bring.
Representation Matters
For Valdez it’s also about music's power in being a great source of representation. Remember she made her bold move to New York City to pursue her passion for musical theater. One of the experiences that planted a seed in her mind to go after this artistic dream was when she went with her family to the big apple in 2009.
They did a pit stop in the city before taking Valdez’s sister to college in Canada. Her father had already seen Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights” and thought it was a great option for the whole family to experience.
Valdez still remembers when the musical began.
“And suddenly, the trumpets come in and I was like: ok, that’s familiar. Trumpets are typical instruments in the Dominican merengue, which is the music I grew up with,” Valdez said. “I said: coño, merengue got to Broadway. Bachata got to Broadway. Salsa got to Broadway. So, why can’t I make it to Broadway?”
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That was back in 2009 when this type of Latin American representation was not usual. Besides the inclusion of the different musical genres, most of the actors and actresses were Latin American or of Latin American descent – Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican, Cuban, and many more.
It was surreal for Valdez to experience that. It inspired her so much that she chose the musical’s song “It Won’t Be Long Now” for her audition for musical theater at the New York Film Academy.
That representation has stayed quite alive in Valdez, whether it’s through her singing, her communication, or her musical theater. When it comes to her singing, she defines herself as a warm hug because of what this discipline does for her as a person.
“The pandemic really did a number on me. On my mental health. So, I unconsciously kind of steered away from singing. Music was still present in my life, but singing, I kind of stopped doing it. And I would sing here and there, but nothing consistent. Nothing solid,” Valdez said.
But then, at the end of 2025, she was invited as a guest to perform at a Christmas concert. Her father told her he’d pay for some singing lessons for her so that she’d feel extra good for the performance.
Valdez went to her singing lesson and it really healed her. It unlocked the emotions she had bottled up and hadn’t processed. She then realized that singing was the part that was missing in her life to continue nourishing her talent and what she loves to do.
María G. Valdez singing and performing in different occasions. | Photos courtesy of María G. Valdez. | Impulsiva Stories
“The singing lessons made me really happy and [I realized] that rehearsing fulfilled me in ways that my job doesn’t fulfill me. That my friendships don’t fulfill me. In ways that, you know, my day-to-day doesn’t fulfill me and that was the missing piece,” Valdez said.
Curating Her Own Concert
The missing piece became even greater because Valdez got along great with her voice teacher and it’s been fantastic for her. Valdez did her performance in Christmas and then, someone from the audience told her she should do her own concert. Valdez said “of course,” but didn’t give it much thought. She even joked about doing a Valentine’s Day concert just to have a theme, but nothing happened.
And then, one day her mom called her to say that the person who told Valdez to have her own concert, wanted to sponsor the performance for Mother’s Day back in May. Valdez did not give much thought and obviously said yes.
María G. Valdez singing during the "Como en Casa: Canciones para Mamá" concert. | Photos courtesy of María G. Valdez. | Impulsiva Stories
It was her first time doing a full concert by herself. On May 21st she performed at the Museo de la Catredal in Santo Domingo. It was the “Como en Casa: Canciones para Mamá” concert and it was an amazing experience for Valdez.
“It was something I did because I wanted to do it. Not because I had to. Yes, I was encouraged by someone who saw the potential, which was very encouraging,” Valdez said. “When someone else is like: oh no, you’re good. Here’s the money. Do your thing. You’re like: oh ok, then this shit is legit.”
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After knowing the concert was a reality, the preparation process began. There was the musical process where Valdez had to rehearse well and then, there was the conceptual process, which entailed exploring certain themes through the curation of the repertoire.
The musical process requires her to connect on different levels with herself. Different parts of her soul. It is a spiritual experience because she transforms on stage. She channels her inner diva, but she doesn’t want to be too diva-ish. She blends the inner diva with her sweet side. More like a grounded diva. She sort-of creates a persona when she’s on stage.
María G. Valdez singing during the "Como en Casa: Canciones para Mamá" concert. | Photos courtesy of María G. Valdez. | Impulsiva Stories
“I don’t wanna say I become a different person when I’m on stage, but I evolve into my next Pokémon self, if you will,” Valdez said. “Like a Pokémon. I start off as Jigglypuff and end as the one that follows.”
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Her Jigglypuff evolution on stage was accompanied by her carefully curated repertoire for a very varied audience. She wanted the concert to reflect a combination between the love of a mother in all its forms and the selection of songs from women artists she admires. The songs’ choice was made with an audience of different generations in mind.
She also created a balance between what she thought the audience might like and the songs she enjoys because Valdez wanted to sing pieces that she loves. Otherwise, the performance doesn’t come through well. In that search for bold songs, she mentioned she had the great fortune that her previous singing teachers were older women who taught her about the classics of Latin American music.
María G. Valdez singing during the "Como en Casa: Canciones para Mamá" concert. | Photos courtesy of María G. Valdez. | Impulsiva Stories
Valdez merged those classics with her grandfather and father’s love for boleros and added in music that reminds her of her mother. That’s why she chose Abba’s “Dancing Queen.” It reminds her of her childhood and her mother playing it in the car.
Then, she also thought of music that makes others dance. Even though it was a piano and voice concert, she wanted a lively performance. So, since reggaeton is quite present right now, she looked for a song that everyone knows and has “cleaner” lyrics.
“I used Don Omar’s Dile. It was super cool on the piano. More like a ballad and it could get people singing: otra, otra, otra noche, otra. It was a nice engaging moment with the audience,” Valdez said.
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And then, she asked herself what song she always wanted to sing. That’s where her love for the Dominican queen of merengue Milly Quezada appeared in the repertoire. Quezada’s song “Entre Tu Cuerpo y El Mío (Solo Contigo)” is a favorite one. Valdez had always wanted to sing the merengue adapted to a ballad version. So, with the maestro Porfirio Mateo, who played the piano during the concert, they did a piano version that was spectacular.
Along with the choice of Quezada, Valdez included music by the Dominican singer Maridalia Hernández. She chose Hernández’s song “Para Quererte,” which Valdez discovered when her aunt asked her to sing it in her wedding.
“Maridalia Hernández is a voice like no other in the country, but you have to be daring in life and I decided to also sing that song,” Valdez said. “And of course, there can’t be a concert in the Dominican Republic without Juan Luis Guerra, who’s our most international artist. We did a version of Burbujas de Amor that was a hit because everyone knows it and everyone was singing it.”
Even though Juan Luis Guerra is not a woman, Valdez said she can’t perform in the Dominican Republic without honoring him. And through this diverse repertoire, Valdez also wanted to remember one of her all-time favorites: Selena Quintanilla.
The queen of Tejano music really caused an impact in Valdez’s life. When Selena was killed, Valdez was only five years old and that stuck with her. Whenever Valdez listens to Selena, she’s taken back to her childhood with warm memories. So, she obviously needed to honor that love for her music.
Singing an Emotional Story
This varied repertoire is a representation of Valdez’s “onion layers,” where the audience could experience the Valdez who’s romantic, heartbroken, strong, or in love. It was a concert with a cozy set up as if you were in her living room with an intimate ambiance where nostalgia and love are spilled all over the place.
Nostalgia is there because Valdez wanted timeless songs that could remind the audience about great moments from the past. Love is there because Valdez wanted a well-rounded experience of this feeling. Most of the songs were not about romantic love. They were about a general understanding of the sentiment.
Love for your mother. Love for life. Love for everything.
“People focus a lot on romantic love, when love is in everything we do. Love is in your day-to-day. In how we speak to others. In how we treat others. In how we treat our environment, our house. In how we treat ourselves when we look in the mirror,” Valdez said. “In the thoughts we have. Love is in all of this.”
She’s a firm believer that we’re surrounded by love and every environment she moves through is led by love. She believes that when you lead with love, people feel it, and others connect on a deeper level with you.
That’s something Valdez is very good at creating when performing because of her knowledge in musical theater. Whenever she performs and sings, she has to tap into her emotions. Sometimes, these feelings don’t exist in that moment, but she has to create them. She might be singing a song about heartbreak, but isn’t feeling that way.
The way she dives into those feelings is by remembering of the times she felt like that. She connects with those emotions and then brings them into the performance. And whenever she’s on stage, she knows she has to work hard for the big gestures of a song.
She earns those big gestures through a musical communication tactic.
“Each song tells a story. What is the story you’re singing about? And the main question: who the fuck cares? If you’re telling it, it’s because you care. So, that urgency you have, that feeling you have. Everything that provokes that sensation, you have to bring it out and you reflect it through your voice,” Valdez said.
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And telling a story through a song requires her to go all in with her body and whatever she’s feeling so that it is reflected in her voice. It’s about creating her story, having an intention, and caring about the narrative she’s singing. Whenever she cares about the story she’s sharing, others are interested in what she says, and connect on a deeper level.
That’s why after the concert, a lot of people told her that they cried or felt loved when listening to her sing. For Valdez, that meant she did a great job. Even her mother was emotional after Valdez’s performance.
“She’s not easily surprised. She’s a very strong, independent woman and I think that I get it from her and she’s also an Aquarius like me. So, it’s very rare to see her be emotional in public and she was definitely emotional. So, my job was done,” Valdez said laughing. “I know I did a good job cause my mom was crying.”
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This is one of the many reasons why Valdez loves her lively and human musical hobby. Her singing and musical interpretations make her feel better. It allows her to connect with others on a deeper level through her beautiful voice. It’s an art form that she performs with a sense of relaxation without the stress of a professional pursuit.
It’s an art form where she can find herself. Where she can process her emotions in a healthy way. Where she can connect with an audience one song at a time.
It’s a musical hobby that makes her feel alive and human.
“Music is an escape and I think I have a good balance between adult responsibilities, work, and the responsibilities I chose to have in music, which allow me to clear my mind," Valdez said. “I also think there’s that balance between music and communication that allows me to have a life that won’t end with me. A life I like living. A life I enjoy.”
To learn more about María G. Valdez’s lively and human musical hobby, you can follow her on Instagram at @mariagvh or @mgvhaus.
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